Fill your shopping cart safely online – CCPC Consumers

April 2, 2024

We do more of our shopping online now than ever before. CSO reports showed 78% of us shopped online last year. Shopping online is easy, but you need to be careful and think before you click! We’ve put together a roadmap for navigating your digital shopping journey.

Shop on reputable websites

It might sound obvious, but it’s essential to know who you’re buying from. Take the time to research the company if you haven’t used them before. When browsing their website, check their ‘contact us’ information. It should give an official email address and phone number you can reach them on.

The business should also list their location. This will affect your rights when you shop online. You do not have the same rights if buying outside the EU. For example, EU based websites have a cooling off period of 14 days during which you can return an item and receive a full refund. This may not apply to websites outside the EU.

Check for a security certificate

The websites you visit should have a security certificate. Before paying, look for an ‘s’ after http’ at the start of the URL. Look to see that there is a padlock symbol in the taskbar of the browser you’re using. This confirms the website is secure.

Watch out for dark patterns

There are dark patterns operating on some websites. Dark patterns are misleading practices designed to manipulate you into buying online. For example, you’re shown a special offer on the seller’s website alongside a fake countdown timer. You may feel pressured into buying the offer before it times out.

Read more about dark patterns online.

Spot fake reviews

It’s right that you take the time to read reviews before you buy. Fake reviews aren’t always easy to spot and may appear to be written by genuine customers. The telltale signs it might be fake include:

• An unusual high number of positive reviews compared to others. Doublecheck to see if there are reviews of the company on other forums or websites.
• Products or services with only positive reviews or five-star ratings. Authentic reviews will more typically have a mix of feedback and ratings.
• The reviews are written in language that does not sound genuine. For example, it might read more like a product promotion.

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